Beer: Ratings & Reviews

22oz bottle drank from my stone ruination pint glass. picked this one up and drank it as soon as it landed in chicago.

A- this one pours out a lighter than expected golden yellow colored body with a pretty large and thick bright white head on top. the head has excellent retention and leaves large spots of lacing on the sides of my glass.

S- my initial thought is that this is very hoppy, and just what id expect from stone. lots of earthy and spicy hops. some pine and grapefruit as well. a faint odor of pale and caramel malts. a little bit of bread.

T- the caramel and bready malts i could smell are barely evident in the taste. the earthy and spicy hops come through strong. theres more grapefruit and pine than i could smell. a little bit of pineapple too. some alcohol is detectable.

S - This beer is all about the smell. Once the bottle is opened: Candy. It's everywhere. Floral, Light, Sugary, like a sweet scented candle or incense. It's nothing like any Stone beer you've had before, yet it still retains that bright hoppy characteristic of a solid IPA.

T - Good, dominated by spicy/peppery hops for sure, but with hints of sweet caramel deep within. The taste parallels the aroma, a feature so often missing in a good IPA.

M - Couldn't ask for more, light yet smooth body. Perfect condition, slightly more bubbly than one expects for an IPA but it works.

D - More, please. I hope, I beg, Stone's exercise in the 'Emperial' is a sign of more to come and not just that: an exercise. This beer shows refinement, care, and class. Rock on.

The color is a cloudy light orange with two fingers of foamy white head and some thick lacing left on the glass.

The smell is hoppy, big surprise, but there seems to be a fruity flavor that seems to be a little like lettuce. There are some citrus fruit flavor in the nose but no grapefruit like expected but more toward a tangerine.

The taste is full of surprises, there is some grapefruit for just a moment that goes into nice malt flavor and establishes the balance of this beer. Toward the end there is a real pop of bitter hop flavor that stays for a short moment then disappears.

This beer was a real surprise, still a west coast IPA but was a bit more balanced than hopped till you fall over. The feel is a little more balanced than most Stone IPA's but was still hoped quite well. This beer goes down with a nice crisp feel and is pretty smooth. It goes down well and is a really drinkable.

Presentation: Split a bomber of this with a friend. My half was poured into a pint glass and served slightly chilled.

Appearance: Really light, straw yellow in color. Clear with absolutely no haze. I'm not used to an IPA with less little color. Two finger pillowy head head with good retention saves this from resembling an adjunct lager.

Aroma: Really heavy pine pitch. Not balanced pine, but really heavy, bitter pine pitch. So much herb and medicinal flavor. Not much in the way of malt to speak of.

Taste: The pine here is overwhelming and, frankly, unpleasant. I usually enjoy IPA's with some citrus rind and pine flavor, but this is more medicinal and woodsy. I would equate this to licking pine sap, and I don't find that pleasant.

Mouthfeel: It has a nice medium bodied mouthfeel and some good crispness, but I don't find it easy to sip on for some reason.

Drinkability: The ABV really is not that noticable, but the flavor is unrelenting. I had trouble finishing my half of the bottle and I know my friend had similar trouble.

Overall, this is was lackluster showing from Stone in my opinion. I almost always love their beers, but this was borderline undrinkable. Just consider me completely and utterly unimpressed by this. I hope they take a different direction for the next anniversary ale.

Poured into a tulip glass with a decent head on top of a light orange color. Smells very herbal; almost no sweetness detected; very excited by the smell. The taste is very dry and spicy. Orange zest dominates the taste. Yum. This is a very nice take on an "emperial IPA" and is quite drinkable. I like it.

Nose is full of juicy malt, floral, herbal, and peppery hops. A nice amount of fruity notes.

Malt character is on the lighter side, but very nice and clean, which allows the hops to shine through. Herbal and peppery, with some lingering bitterness that coats the tongue. A few random fruity notes. A bit of a mineral-like flavor as well.

Medium body, good carbonation. Alcohol is there, but not as strong. I like this. I would really love a smaller version of this beer, but this will do. Happy anniversary Stone!

Picked up two bottles of the 14th anniversary from the brewery store in San Diego to take home with me. Color is a bright golden color; not a ton of head. Flavor is initially sweet and crisp with some nice hoppyness. It reminds a lot of Oskar Blues Gubna.

Stone has always been producing amazing IPA's! This one however has been different from them all! The standard west coast hoppy flavor can be found in most of their IPA's, but this one was very different which makes it a new favorite! 10th anniversary IPA from them is still my favorite ,but the 14th is surprising in all categories! Buy one or two to try and buy 2 more to cellar and save for a special occasion!

A - Pours a dark yellow with some brown highlights and produces about 2 fingers of fluffy white head and really nice carbonation.

S - Lemons, spices, and floral and bitter hops.

T - Tastes like spice laden lemon candy, the spices are complex and hard to put my finger on what they are I get a little pepper though. The hops come through more throughout drinking, but there is a little taste that reminds me of dish soap, kinda weird.

M - Light bodied, crisp and refreshing, and lots of carbonation.

D - This is pretty good but the more I drink the spice and hops come out. This is definitely one of the most different IPA's I have had, it is worth a try.

I have been waiting to try this one and tonight's the night. I've found this in two places now: the Oak Tree Buy Rite in South Plainfield, NJ and the Boonton Liquor Oultet in Boonton, NJ.

I poured this into a nonix and was rewarded with an apricot-colored, hazy brew topped with some white foam that left some lace on the sides. The head subsided into a layer of floaters and bubbles that persisted through to the end of the glass.

As expected, the nose is mostly hops giving off some beautiful pine tones and a citrus smell that's somewhere between oranges and pink grapefruits. Some spice also joins the fray. Not sure if I'm getting cloves or black pepper.

Drink slowly, but be quick to taste. This one moves fast across the tongue and palate, changing as it goes. Two senses immediately on the tongue are biscuity malts and pine resin bitterness. Then it moves back and pepper assaults the palate, but quickly gives way to a white grapefruit bitterness that really lingers.

The aftertaste of white grapefruit is more of the pith than the flesh and is not my favorite sensation in this brew, but I know many hop heads who live for that. For me, I keep drinking in an effort to wash it out and re-experience the first seconds of the sip, but it returns of course and will not go away. I must mention that the alcohol is exceptionally well masked, so be careful!

This is another solid effort out of Escondido and it sort of reminds me of a mix between an IPA and an ESB. This baby is bitter and most of the balancing sweetness is supplanted by some earthy spice. Definitely a departure from Ruination and their core IPA in the hops profile. Still, the aftertaste requires drinking something different to disperse it once and for all.

T- Decent spicy bitterness. The malt seems to be hidden for something trying to be an Imperial IPA, which is expected in my book for an IIPA. But this is swinging at something different. ITs much closer to a bid ESB, but lacks the finer points of that beer. Good amounts of a pine hop flavor, its not bad at all just needs more.

M - Good mouth feel. Body is creamy, plenty of carbonation.

O - I might be missing the point of this beer. It says imperial right? it a very tasty ESB essentially. More of an IPA. Its very good. I like it. Its just not what the packages says it is.

A 650 mL bottle from Al's of Hampden. Tried it on tap but didn't take notes.

A: The EIPA is a golden yellow color, bright with a residual cold temperature haze. A two and a half finger head left fingers of lace all around my glass.

S: Lots of hops, flowery herbs, running throughout the ale. Grasses drive the herbal element, the aromas are intense with a resiny thickness. No word from the biscuity malts.

T: Sharp and bitter. An English IPA? The Queen would be pissed. The ale has an all-American hop profile, big and strong just with different flavors. The grassy hops, with a floral bouquet, strike the right note above a biscuity, pale grain base. They bite without being too boozy, although the strength does sneak up on you.

M: Floral, herbal, nuanced. These hops are strong but different from most DIPAs (I consider this an EDIPA, take that traditionalists!).

D: Slow and steady wins this race. The hoppiness, intensely strong, is unusual. I like it in smaller quantities.

A: Pours a straw/golden orange with a nice fluffy white head. Some strands of carbonation flowing from the bottom of the glass. After visiting England, I can safely say this is what I found the IPA's to look like.

S: Aroma is strong and earthy, reminiscent of a saison aroma mixed with English malts. There is an upfront must, followed by some grassy and citric elements. Never smelled something quite like this actually. The English malt base is present, which is nice. The other aromas coming off this beer are very pleasing to say the least. The earthiness of the hops is outstanding, you can almost smell the soil and vines and flowers all at once.

T: Hops. Holy smokes is this hoppy. Also has a bit of a smokey malt flavor in the back. Very resinous and earthy hops, with some citrus of lemon and grapefruit. The English character doesnt come through so well though. Not picking up the subtle qualities that English IPA's have. Who would expect Stone to stick to parameters though. This is certainly aggressively hopped and is very tasty, just a bit off style though.

M: Light and crisp like it should be. Good carb and lasting flavor on the palate. Very dry as well. A bit puckering and astringent. Mouthfeel is on point as far as style.

D: This is definitely a hop bomb, no surprise again coming from Stone. Huge earthy and grassy notes from the hops. Very dry, making this one yank at your gums and tooth enamel. Great beer to enjoy during hot weather. (Inside, of course).

A: Pours a slightly hazy straw yellow color. At first a tow finger white head forms, but recedes in a second to a ring. Some nice sticky lace is left though.S: Citrus and grassy hops up front. Herbal and medicinal. Slightly soapy with a lingering spicy aroma.T: Very piny and resiny up front this time. Citrus lingers. Rough grainy malt that tries to balance everything out. Medicinal and soapy with a lingering spiciness. Very hot with an ethanol like quality.M/D: A medium body with rough and prickly carbonation. Hot ethanol that is just rough. Hard to drink.

This did not do it for me. If Stone wants to imitate English brewers again, I say they make a beer that has more nuance and subtlety. This is somewhat crass, very rough, and unpleasant.

The beer pours a yellow color with a white head. The aroma is an unattractive mix of grassy hops and sweat. The flavor is orange citrus hops, grassy hops and bready malt. I also get some resiny hops and medium to high bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Not near the beer I expected this to be. Not terrible, but still disappointing.

Slightly chill hazed beer with a fluffy white head. This beer is on the paler end of the beers I l like to call IPA Orange.

Good pine and pineapple scent with some mango in there. Slight peach aroma that reminds me of mango.

Starts out with a strong melon flavor. Wood and pine come through with a fairly bitter finish. After a while papaya really comes a strong part of the flavor. Definitely has a high malt content this is a little syrupy.

Mouthfeel is thick for the style.

Good drinkability not a best of the style but a good beer for $6 a bomber. Currently much easier to get than something like Dreadnaught.

A bomber of Stone Emperial 14th Anniversary English IPA poured into my Stone imperial pint glass, quite appropriate indeed. Pours a hazy light orange/copper color. White head is about an inch thick when first poured before settling to a good 1/4 inch with good lacing. Aromas of piney cirtus hops followed by some nice caramel malt tones. Good mix of citrus piney hop flavors and sweet caramel malt, especially once the beer warms up a bit. The piney citrus hops dominate when the beer is first poured, but after a bit the flavors balance each other nicely. Has a crisp and smooth, full bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Easy to drink in the manner that well crafted beer should be. I really like this and certainly would go out of my way to drink it again.

Hazy peach colour with a fluffy, bright white cap. Great head retention, lots of clumpy/streaky lace that really clung to the glass. Fruity, citrusy aroma, grassy and a bit floral, almost like sniffing freshly ground hop pellets in character. There's a bit of pineapple as it warms, it's a little powdery, slightly catty, with some doughy malt in the background. The flavour started with some malt presence, but as this disappeared all I was left with was a sharp, herbal bitterness followed by a significant amount of alcohol flavour and warmth, a little white pepper in the finish. There were grapefruit and lemon hop notes, some fruitiness, and a dry maltiness mid-palate. Medium bodied with somewhat creamy carbonation. Not bad, but not one of my favs out of the Stone anniversary releases.